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Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation
The accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of NACCO Industries, Inc.® (“NACCO”) and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). NACCO brings natural resources to life by delivering aggregates, minerals, reliable fuels and environmental solutions through its robust portfolio of NACCO Natural Resources businesses. The Company operates under three business segments: Coal Mining, North American Mining ("NAMining") and Minerals Management. The Coal Mining segment operates surface coal mines for power generation companies. The NAMining segment is a trusted mining partner for producers of aggregates, coal, lithium and other industrial minerals. The Minerals Management segment acquires and promotes the development of mineral interests. Mitigation Resources of North America® ("Mitigation Resources") provides stream and wetland mitigation solutions.

The Company also has items not directly attributable to a reportable segment. Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Effective January 1, 2022, the Company changed the composition of its reportable segments. As a result, the Company retrospectively changed its computation of segment operating profit to reclassify the results of Caddo Creek Resources Company, LLC (“Caddo Creek”) and Demery Resources Company, LLC ("Demery") from the Coal Mining segment into the NAMining segment as these operations provide mining solutions for producers of industrial minerals, rather than for power generation. The Coal Mining segment now includes only mines that deliver coal for power generation. This segment reporting change has no impact on consolidated operating results. All prior period segment information has been reclassified to conform to the new presentation. See Note 8 to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of segment reporting.

The Company’s operating segments are further described below:

Coal Mining Segment
The Coal Mining segment, operating as The North American Coal Corporation® ("NACoal"), operates surface coal mines under long-term contracts with power generation companies pursuant to a service-based business model. Lignite coal is surface mined in North Dakota, Texas and Mississippi. Each mine is fully integrated with its customer's operations and is the exclusive supplier of coal to its customers' facilities.

During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Coal Mining segment's operating coal mines were: The Coteau Properties Company (“Coteau”), Coyote Creek Mining Company, LLC (“Coyote Creek”), The Falkirk Mining Company (“Falkirk”), Mississippi Lignite Mining Company (“MLMC”) and The Sabine Mining Company (“Sabine”). Each of these mines deliver their coal production to adjacent power plants or synfuels plants under long-term supply contracts. MLMC’s coal supply contract contains a take or pay provision; all other coal supply contracts are requirements contracts under which earnings can fluctuate. Certain coal supply contracts can be terminated early, which would result in a reduction to future earnings.

During the three months ended March 31, 2021, the Coal Mining segment's operating coal mines also included Bisti Fuels Company, LLC (“Bisti”). Effective September 30, 2021, the contract mining agreement between Bisti and its customer, Navajo Transitional Energy Company ("NTEC"), was terminated.

Coteau operates the Freedom Mine in North Dakota. All coal production from the Freedom Mine is delivered to Basin Electric Power Cooperative (“Basin Electric”). Basin Electric utilizes the coal at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant (the “Synfuels Plant”), Antelope Valley Station and Leland Olds Station. The Synfuels Plant is a coal gasification plant, owned by Dakota Gasification Company (“Dakota Gas’), a subsidiary of Basin Electric, that manufactures synthetic natural gas and produces fertilizers, solvents, phenol, carbon dioxide, and other chemical products for sale. During 2020, Basin Electric informed Coteau that it is considering changes that may result in modifications to its Synfuels Plant that could potentially reduce or eliminate coal requirements at the Synfuels Plant. During 2021, Bakken Energy (“Bakken”) and Basin Electric signed a non-binding term sheet to transfer ownership of the assets of Dakota Gas to Bakken. Bakken stated the closing date is expected to be April 1, 2023. The closing is subject to the satisfaction of specified conditions. As part of the term sheet between Basin Electric and Bakken, Basin Electric indicated that the Synfuels Plant will continue existing operations through 2026. Basin Electric is also considering other options for the Synfuels Plant if the transaction with Bakken does not close. Basin Electric indicated that if it
decides to proceed with any changes that could reduce or eliminate the use of coal, the feedstock change is not expected to occur before 2027.

Falkirk operates the Falkirk Mine in North Dakota. Falkirk is the sole supplier of lignite coal to the Coal Creek Station power plant pursuant to a contract under which Falkirk also supplies approximately 0.3 million tons of lignite coal per year to Spiritwood Station power plant. Coal Creek Station and Spiritwood Station are owned by Great River Energy (“GRE”). In 2020, GRE announced its intent to sell or retire Coal Creek Station and modify Spiritwood Station to be fueled by natural gas. During 2021, GRE entered into an agreement to sell Coal Creek Station and the adjacent high-voltage direct current transmission line to Bismarck, North Dakota-based Rainbow Energy Center, LLC (“Rainbow Energy”) and its affiliates. On May 2, 2022, GRE completed the sale of the Coal Creek Station power plant and the adjacent high-voltage direct current transmission line to Rainbow Energy. See Note 9 for further discussion of the transactions.

Sabine operates the Sabine Mine in Texas. All production from Sabine is delivered to Southwestern Electric Power Company's (“SWEPCO”) Henry W. Pirkey Plant (the “Pirkey Plant”). SWEPCO is an American Electric Power (“AEP”) company. AEP intends to retire the Pirkey Plant in 2023. Sabine expects deliveries to cease during the first quarter of 2023 at which time it expects to begin final reclamation. Funding for mine reclamation is the responsibility of SWEPCO.

At Coteau, Coyote Creek, Falkirk and Sabine, the Company is paid a management fee per ton of coal or heating unit (MMBtu) delivered. Each contract specifies the indices and mechanics by which fees change over time, generally in line with broad measures of U.S. inflation. The customers are responsible for funding all mine operating costs, including final mine reclamation, and directly or indirectly provide all of the capital required to build and operate the mine. This contract structure eliminates exposure to spot coal market price fluctuations while providing income and cash flow with minimal capital investment. Other than at Coyote Creek, debt financing provided by or supported by the customers is without recourse to NACCO and NACoal. See Note 6 for further discussion of Coyote Creek's guarantees.

Coteau, Coyote Creek, Falkirk and Sabine each meet the definition of a variable interest entity ("VIE"). In each case, NACCO is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE as it does not exercise financial control; therefore, NACCO does not consolidate the results of these operations within its financial statements. Instead, these contracts are accounted for as equity method investments. The income before income taxes associated with these VIEs is reported as Earnings of unconsolidated operations on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Company’s investment is reported on the line Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The mines that meet the definition of a VIE are referred to collectively as the “Unconsolidated Subsidiaries.” For tax purposes, the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries are included within the NACCO consolidated U.S. tax return; therefore, the Income tax provision (benefit) line on the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations includes income taxes related to these entities. See Note 6 for further information on the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries.

Falkirk meets the definition of a VIE. The completion of the Rainbow Energy transaction results in a VIE reconsideration event. As the terms of the contract between Falkirk and Rainbow Energy are substantially the same as the terms of the contract between Falkirk and GRE, Falkirk will remain a VIE and Rainbow Energy is the primary beneficiary; therefore, NACCO will continue to account for Falkirk under the equity method.

The Company performs contemporaneous reclamation activities at each mine in the normal course of operations. Under all of the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries’ contracts, the customer has the obligation to fund final mine reclamation activities. Under certain contracts, the Unconsolidated Subsidiary holds the mine permit and is therefore responsible for final mine reclamation activities. To the extent the Unconsolidated Subsidiary performs such final reclamation, it is compensated for providing those services in addition to receiving reimbursement from customers for costs incurred.

The MLMC contract is the only operating coal contract in which the Company is responsible for all operating costs, capital requirements and final mine reclamation; therefore, MLMC is consolidated within NACCO’s financial statements. MLMC sells coal to its customer at a contractually agreed-upon price which adjusts monthly, primarily based on changes in the level of established indices which reflect general U.S. inflation rates. Profitability at MLMC is affected by customer demand for coal and changes in the indices that determine sales price and actual costs incurred. As diesel fuel is heavily weighted among the indices used to determine the coal sales price, fluctuations in diesel fuel prices can result in significant fluctuations in earnings at MLMC.

MLMC delivers coal to the Red Hills Power Plant in Ackerman, Mississippi. The Red Hills Power Plant supplies electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority ("TVA") under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement. MLMC’s contract with its customer runs through 2032. TVA’s power portfolio includes coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, natural gas and renewables. The decision of
which power plants to dispatch is determined by TVA. Reduction in dispatch of the Red Hills Power Plant will result in reduced earnings at MLMC.

NAMining Segment
The NAMining segment provides value-added contract mining and other services for producers of industrial minerals. The segment is a primary platform for the Company’s growth and diversification of mining activities outside of the thermal coal industry. NAMining provides contract mining services for independently owned mines and quarries, creating value for its customers by performing the mining aspects of its customers’ operations. This allows customers to focus on their areas of expertise: materials handling and processing, product sales and distribution. NAMining historically operated primarily at limestone quarries in Florida, but is focused on expanding outside of Florida, mining materials other than limestone and expanding the scope of mining operations provided to its customers.

NAMining utilizes both fixed price and management fee contract structures. Certain of the entities within the NAMining segment are VIEs and are accounted for under the equity method as Unconsolidated Subsidiaries. See Note 6 for further discussion.

Minerals Management Segment
The Minerals Management segment derives income primarily by leasing its royalty and mineral interests to third-party exploration and production companies, and, to a lesser extent, other mining companies, granting them the rights to explore, develop, mine, produce, market and sell gas, oil, and coal in exchange for royalty payments based on the lessees' sales of those minerals.

During 2021 and 2020, the Minerals Management segment acquired mineral interests, primarily in the Eagle Ford and Permian Basins in Texas. During the first quarter of 2022, the Minerals Management segment had capital expenditures of $0.8 million, primarily for mineral interests in the New Mexico portion of the Permian Basin. The Minerals Management segment intends to make future acquisitions of mineral and royalty interests that meet the Company’s acquisition criteria as part of its growth strategy.

The Company’s legacy royalty and mineral interests are located in Ohio (Utica and Marcellus shale natural gas), Louisiana (Haynesville shale and Cotton Valley formation natural gas), Texas (Cotton Valley and Austin Chalk formation natural gas), Mississippi (coal), Pennsylvania (coal, coalbed methane and Marcellus shale natural gas), Alabama (coal, coalbed methane and natural gas) and North Dakota (coal, oil and natural gas). The majority of the Company’s legacy reserves were acquired as part of its historical coal mining operations.

The Minerals Management segment owns royalty interests, mineral interests, nonparticipating royalty interests, and overriding royalty interests. The Company may own more than one type of mineral and royalty interest in the same tract of land. For example, where the Company owns an overriding royalty interest in a lease on the same tract of land in which it owns a mineral interest, the overriding royalty interest in that tract will relate to the same gross acres as the mineral interest in that tract.

The Minerals Management segment will benefit from the continued development of its mineral properties without the need for investment of additional capital once mineral and royalty interests have been acquired. The Minerals Management segment does not have any investments under which it would be required to bear the cost of exploration, production or development.

As an owner of royalty and mineral interests, the Company’s access to information concerning activity and operations of its royalty and mineral interests is limited. The Company does not have information that would be available to a company with oil and natural gas operations because detailed information is not generally available to owners of royalty and mineral interests.

Basis of Presentation: These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position of the Company at March 31, 2022, the results of its operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in equity for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 have been included. These Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The balance sheet at December 31, 2021 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information or notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.
Certain amounts in prior period Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period's presentation.